“On the opening day (of the WGC) he asked the starter if he wouldn’t mind announcing him as the Open champion. So I asked if he wouldn’t mind announcing me as the U.S. Open champ. I looked over at Phil and gave him a wink, and he was laughing. He enjoys the banter, and he’s certainly an inspiration.

“He was 33 when he won his first major and now he’s gone on to win five, as well as a virtual career grand slam if you count all those near misses in the U.S. Open as one win. It shows to me that even if you have to wait until your early 30s to win your first, you can still go on and have a great career.”

Lavner is a senior writer, covers the PGA Tour and is the website's college golf expert.